Re: Re-introducing myself

[Guest guest]

Hi Dana:

Welcome back! It is wonderful to have you resume activity on this list.

You will hear many more success stories on this list than when it first

started. We have an incredible group of unbelievably dedicated parents

here who will enjoy your fantastic sense of humor and wonderful warm heart.

Take care, aloha, Kathy (h)

kathyh@...

At 09:43 PM 7/3/01 -0400, you wrote:

>I decided I better re-introduce myself, after my long self imposed

> " retirement " from the list, rather than just disappear again after the

>last bit of weirdness that brought me back to life here, so to speak.

>My name is Dana, I live in Chapel Hill, NC, I joined the list back in

>the first few months when it started, and it was my main source of

>education and support for almost 3 years.

>

>My daughter, Ava, was diagnosed with OCD at the age of 9. She had

>symptoms since infancy - my midwife said she had never seen a newly born

>baby insist on lifting up her head and holding it " just so " . Ava is 13

>now and a delightful though terribly difficult child to live with. I

>stopped posting here in March because I became concerned that her Dad,

>from whom I've been divorced for 11 years, might join the list and that

>would prevent me from speaking freely. At that time he was making noise

>about learning about OCD (finally) as part of his strategy in the

>custody suit he filed last spring.

>

>I came to realize that he was only talking about learning about OCD, he

>hasn't bothered to learn much of anything and had no intention of

>joining the list, but I guess I got out of the habit of posting here.

>Also there are so many new members I started feeling like I didn't know

>anyone anyway and since I keep up with some of the " old-timers " through

>private email, well, I just drifted away.

>

>But Louis's post a few weeks ago, where he mentioned that those of us

>who have been around awhile should be helpful when we can (or something

>like that) inspires me to jump back in. Actually, I've found reading

>all of the posts helpful, even those from people just venting or asking

>for help. Ava is by no means " well " and I still have a lot to learn

>here.

>

>So I'll try to post more often. It's weird because since I have been

>reading the posts I feel as if I " know " some of you but I realize most

>of you don't know me at all. Oh well, that's cyberspace I guess. This

>list is great.

>

>Dana in NC

a

[Guest guest]

Welcome back Dana - I had wondered about you and why I hadn't seen

anything from you. I remembered Ava (and you?) were going out of the

country with her school or something and wasn't sure if I'd seen you

post since then. (Guess I could have checked the archives!)

How's Ava (and you!) handling this summer?

My son (12) is doing OK, he and his twin staying at home

while I work (we live with my mom so she's there) but getting on each

other's nerves so that just makes worse! But I guess he's

handling it well, considering. I, however, am getting sooooo tired of

his OCD even tho it's so mild now compared to the beginning - I

mentioned in an earlier post it hasn't been a year yet that he's had

it - I don't know how you " old-timers " have put up with it for years

and years....

Keep us updated on you and Ava!

> I decided I better re-introduce myself, after my long self imposed

> " retirement " from the list, rather than just disappear again after

the

> last bit of weirdness that brought me back to life here, so to

speak.

> My name is Dana, I live in Chapel Hill, NC, I joined the list back

in

> the first few months when it started, and it was my main source of

> education and support for almost 3 years.

>

> My daughter, Ava, was diagnosed with OCD at the age of 9. She had

> symptoms since infancy - my midwife said she had never seen a newly

born

> baby insist on lifting up her head and holding it " just so " . Ava

is 13

> now and a delightful though terribly difficult child to live with.

I

> stopped posting here in March because I became concerned that her

Dad,

> from whom I've been divorced for 11 years, might join the list and

that

> would prevent me from speaking freely. At that time he was making

noise

> about learning about OCD (finally) as part of his strategy in the

> custody suit he filed last spring.

>

> I came to realize that he was only talking about learning about

OCD, he

> hasn't bothered to learn much of anything and had no intention of

> joining the list, but I guess I got out of the habit of posting

here.

> Also there are so many new members I started feeling like I didn't

know

> anyone anyway and since I keep up with some of the " old-timers "

through

> private email, well, I just drifted away.

>

> But Louis's post a few weeks ago, where he mentioned that those of

us

> who have been around awhile should be helpful when we can (or

something

> like that) inspires me to jump back in. Actually, I've found

reading

> all of the posts helpful, even those from people just venting or

asking

> for help. Ava is by no means " well " and I still have a lot to learn

> here.

>

> So I'll try to post more often. It's weird because since I have

been

> reading the posts I feel as if I " know " some of you but I realize

most

> of you don't know me at all. Oh well, that's cyberspace I guess.

This

> list is great.

>

> Dana in NC

[Guest guest]

Thanks for welcoming me back. Yes, we went to Germany for 2 weeks in March and

then I resubscribed when we got back but never posted again. We had a great

time in Europe. I loved the food, the people, etc.. The jump rope team

performed all over at various german and American schools and did workshops. We

stayed with German host families and the woman we stayed with and I found we

were kindred spirits and became good friends. I'll probably go back for a visit

and she and her daughter may come here also.

My custody suit situation has gone from bad to ridiculous. Ava's dad fought to

have a court appointed guardian for her, thereby dragging Ava into this mess and

I fought to keep her out. I lost that round and a GAL was appointed. She has

been awful to deal with. Ava's been through hours of psychological testing.

The stress of it all has exacerbated her OCD and TTM, her grades went from A's

to C's and D's, her end of grade test scores dropped from the 98-99% to 72%.

Not to mention she is totally obnoxious to me, the one person it is safe enough

to show her anger. The latest absurd twist is that, under the advisement of her

doctor, I " confronted " (his instruction) her about the things her dad had been

saying about how she was asking to live with him half time (every other week)

and that is why he's suing me. She

denied this and asked to meet with him and me at the same time, with Clay (my

husband and her " guidance counselor " , which is what she calls him) in order to

confront him about his misrepresenting her desires. He refused to meet with us

and then filed an order of protection against me claiming that by talking to Ava

about the court case I was risking her mental health. I have spent over $5000

so far and have yet to actually present my case in court. We are hoping to get

a court date in July.

Ava is at the beach for the week with her Dad and I am getting a much needed

break from her. They left Friday and in typical Ava fashion she hadn't called

me until yesterday when I got a frantic phone call from her saying " hey, mom,

I've only got a minute to talk, but I need to know is Athena the goddess of war

or wisdom? " . Hi, How are you? Fugetaboudit! Sigh. That's my girl.

It's good to be back on the list.

Dana in NC

[Guest guest]

Dana in North Carolina,

I am glad you have returned but I must admit it is for selfish reasons to

some extent. You have valuable information to some of us parents who have

only recently heard the news of our child having OCD. You can be a resource

and inspiration to us. You are right we don't know one another but we certainly

share humanity and we share children with OCD.

Lee in SF

Kathy Hammes wrote:

Hi Dana:Welcome back! It is wonderful to have you resume activity on this list.You will hear many more success stories on this list than when it firststarted. We have an incredible group of unbelievably dedicated parentshere who will enjoy your fantastic sense of humor and wonderful warm heart. Take care, aloha, Kathy (h)kathyh@...At 09:43 PM 7/3/01 -0400, you wrote:

I decided I better re-introduce myself, after my long self imposed"retirement" from the list, rather than just disappear again after thelast bit of weirdness that brought me back to life here, so to speak.My name is Dana, I live in Chapel Hill, NC, I joined the list back inthe first few months when it started, and it was my main source ofeducation and support for almost 3 years.My daughter, Ava, was diagnosed with OCD at the age of 9. She hadsymptoms since infancy - my midwife said she had never seen a newly bornbaby insist on lifting up her head and holding it "just so". Ava is 13now and a delightful though terribly difficult child to live with. Istopped posting here in March because I became concerned that her Dad,

>from whom I've been divorced for 11 years, might join the list and that

would prevent me from speaking freely. At that time he was making noiseabout learning about OCD (finally) as part of his strategy in thecustody suit he filed last spring.I came to realize that he was only talking about learning about OCD, hehasn't bothered to learn much of anything and had no intention ofjoining the list, but I guess I got out of the habit of posting here.Also there are so many new members I started feeling like I didn't knowanyone anyway and since I keep up with some of the "old-timers" throughprivate email, well, I just drifted away.But Louis's post a few weeks ago, where he mentioned that those of uswho have been around awhile should be helpful when we can (or somethinglike that) inspires me to jump back in. Actually, I've found readingall of the posts helpful, even those from people just venting or askingfor help. Ava is by no means "well" and I still ha!

ve a lot to learnhere.So I'll try to post more often. It's weird because since I have beenreading the posts I feel as if I "know" some of you but I realize mostof you don't know me at all. Oh well, that's cyberspace I guess. Thislist is great.Dana in NC

aYou may subscribe to the OCD-L by emailing listserv@... . In the body of your message write: subscribe OCD-L your name. You may subscribe to the Parents of Adults with OCD List at parentsofadultswithOCD-subscribe . You may subscribe to the OCD and Homeschooling List at ocdandhomeschooling-subscribe . You may change your subscription format or access the files, bookmarks, and archives for our list at . Our list advisors are Tamar Chansky, Ph.D., Aureen Pinto Wagner, Ph.D., and Da!

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[Guest guest]

Welcome Back Beth - I'm new since you were here last =)

We are about the same size. Trying to loose 100 pounds here. We'll see it sounds good in my head but it may be to small. Just taking it a day at a time!

God Bless, (in Illinois)Romans 11:33Wife to for 9 years Home School Mom to 3 (8, & twins 6 ½)# 4 (waiting for us to find her in Vietnam)Working on the Home Study =)www.freewebs.com/carrfam/

Started May 11, 2006Highest Weight 235Good - Bye 230Good - Bye 220

Current Weight 214

Goal Weight 125 =)

[Guest guest]

Hey Beth. I dont remember you but that is not odd because alot of times I go by email names. So you may have changed that. I applaud you for stopping the gaining back. I have just come off of a gain back. I am up to 235 my highest was 260. So I need accountability. What program do you follow?

NH... Mom to Abby Liz 10/94 Anne 7/99

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/19/2006 2:09:06 PM US Eastern Standard Time, carrmommy3@... writes:

Welcome Back Beth - I'm new since you were here last =)

We are about the same size. Trying to loose 100 pounds here. We'll see it sounds good in my head but it may be to small. Just taking it a day at a time!

God Bless,

(in Illinois)

Hi ,

One day at a time is all we can do!

I am almost your neighbor! I live in Indiana.

Thanks for the welcome back.

Beth

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/19/2006 8:03:30 PM US Eastern Standard Time, sandra.mygroup@... writes:

Good for you. It is hard but hey, you lost weight before so you KNOW you can do it. Scoot over girls we got another one climbing on the wagon with us:)

I need that wagon--wait for me!!

I recently hit 240 and I too hadn't seen that number in quite a few years. And guess what... I caught myself pulling up my jeans again today. I should have weighed yesterday but I havent done it yet. But I plan on it before going to bed tonight.

Congrats! That is a great feeling to have to pull up pants, rather than letting the button out!

Well here we are. Come and visit with us anytime. My name is and I am usually on here daily. I come and go on my computer all day long and I read each and every post. Sometimes I don't reply to all of them cause I figure people will get sick and tired of me but I am always here if you need to talk.

Nice to meet you . Thanks.

Beth

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/19/2006 8:04:34 PM US Eastern Standard Time, Jase4567@... writes:

Hey Beth. I dont remember you but that is not odd because alot of times I go by email names. So you may have changed that. I applaud you for stopping the gaining back. I have just come off of a gain back. I am up to 235 my highest was 260. So I need accountability. What program do you follow?

NH...

Hi .

Thanks for the welcome. I don't follow any specific program. I just use portion control, count calories, and exercise. I have found it works for me. I have seen your posts on journaling. I definitely do that! It really helps me to see how much I am eating. It is amazing how fast those calories can add up!

Beth

[Guest guest]

> regularly, but I fell off of the weight loss wagon and quit posting. I still

> read messages almost every day, but I was so out of weight loss mode. I am

> now back on the wagon, so to speak.

You know, I hear this so often (even from myself!) that I think we should have

the wagon

recalled. Obviously they need to install some seatbelts. Or, maybe they're just

hoping we'll

get more exercise when we chase it to catch up.

> Anyway, I finally decided that my kids were missing out on a lot cause mom

> was too tired to do anything. I was big into weight loss. From March to

> October of last year, I lost 86 pounds. I got down to 209.

> Anyway, I gained some weight back. I got back up to 237 in about 7 months.

> Ugh. I am back on my plan and now today I weighed in at 225. So I am feeling

> better once again, going at it hard. I realize now how easy it is to gain

> back! It came back on quick once I quit my program. I won't make that

mistake

> again.

Well, look at it this way: It was a slide, but not a big slide! At least it

didn't come back /

with friends/ like mine did!

> Beth

> 295/225/190

SulaBlue

[Guest guest]

Hi Beth and welcome out of lurkdom! Just had to jump in here, I think I saw some replies before I responded LOL.

I am , 38 single mom of 3 boys. I wish my kid (the one that lives with me is a jerk BTW) was supportive, but I have enough of a circle around me.... anyway, I have lost 29 lbs in the past year and I want to say 40-some inches. Coming off slowly, but I keep "farting off" and "cheating", so that's ok..... I don't eat out a lot, but when I get the craving, I want McDs LOL!!

Good job, and keep up the great work!!

[Guest guest]

Hi.I have been a member here for about a year and a half. I used to post pretty regularly, but I fell off of the weight loss wagon and quit posting.

Well, Welcome back!

I still read messages almost every day, but I was so out of weight loss mode. I am now back on the wagon, so to speak. I need support and encouragement too. This group was always very supportive, so I decided to start posting again. Maybe it will help me to stay on track. Maybe I can help someone else too.

I really believe posting every so often do help. I think support can make all the difference in the world. Some people can do it alone but I need the support myself:)

Anyway, I gained some weight back. I got back up to 237 in about 7 months. Ugh. I am back on my plan and now today I weighed in at 225. So I am feeling better once again, going at it hard. I realize now how easy it is to gain back! It came back on quick once I quit my program. I won't make that mistake again.

Good for you. It is hard but hey, you lost weight before so you KNOW you can do it. Scoot over girls we got another one climbing on the wagon with us:)I don't have a definite final pound goal I want to reach. I would be so happy to hit 190 though! So for now that is what I want to get to. I haven't been under 200 in the last 10 years.

I recently hit 240 and I too hadn't seen that number in quite a few years. And guess what... I caught myself pulling up my jeans again today. I should have weighed yesterday but I havent done it yet. But I plan on it before going to bed tonight.I have a very supportive hubby, a big bunch of kids (who are very proud of me for losing the weight), and a feisty new puppy named Pepper. But I also feel like support from other ladies who are going through the same things I am is important too.

Well here we are. Come and visit with us anytime. My name is and I am usually on here daily. I come and go on my computer all day long and I read each and every post. Sometimes I don't reply to all of them cause I figure people will get sick and tired of me but I am always here if you need to talk.Sorry this got so long. I just wanted to update anyone who may remember me from before, and introduce myself to everyone else.

Yep, I joined since you did I reckon. I joined in early feburary I think.

[Guest guest]

Re: Re-introducing myself

In a message dated 6/19/2006 8:03:30 PM US Eastern Standard Time, sandra.mygroup@... writes:

Good for you. It is hard but hey, you lost weight before so you KNOW you can do it. Scoot over girls we got another one climbing on the wagon with us:)I need that wagon--wait for me!!

Climb on up, done dusted your seat for ya and everything.

[Guest guest]

> Sorry this got so long. I just wanted to update anyone who may remember

me

> from before, and introduce myself to everyone else.

Welcome back, Beth, and never worry about long posts. Good luck in getting

back in the swing of things, and I look forward to seeing your posts again.

Sue in NJ

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/19/2006 10:37:51 PM US Eastern Standard Time, ABrite@... writes:

.. anyway, I have lost 29 lbs in the past year and I want to say 40-some inches.

Hi !

Nice to meet you. Congratulations on your own weight loss!

Beth

[Guest guest]

Hi Beth!

I'm Bonnie, live in central Indiana with dh and two little boys. You

shared quite a story! I've worked my rear end off and have lost 70

pounds in 9 months--I'm a bit jealous reading your story because, wow,

you lost fast! It's wonderful that you didn't gain it all back.

Good for you for stepping up and turning it around!

I don't have a set number I want to hit, either, really. I'm just

thrilled to be out of the 300's and out of size 30 pants! I would

like to get into 14's and 16's eventually, and I don't know what

weight that would equate to. But I'm not even really hung up on a

size. I just want to be healthy and active.

Anyway, it's nice to hear from you What an inspiration you are!

-Bonnie

[Guest guest]

> I look forward to reading more of your posts. You

> always share lots of good information.

I don't post as many of those as I used to, because one day a study will be

released that declares such and such is good for weight loss, and the next

day another study will conclude that the thing that helps you lose weight

has deadly side effects or is ineffective, or both.

Eggs are good, eggs are bad, eggs are good again.

Dairy is good, dairy is bad, dairy is good again, within reason and if fat

free.

Bread is ...

Well, you get the picture. Just fill in the blank with any food or

medication out there. It gets too confusing and too frustrating trying to

sort it all out.

Sue in NJ

dizzy enough without reading scientific studies

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

From: ABrite@...

> I am , 38 single mom of 3 boys. I wish my kid (the one that lives

> with me is a jerk BTW) was supportive, but I have enough of a circle

> around me....

How old is he? Sad that someone as bright and positive as you seem to be

has to live with a jerk. I'm guessing he takes after his dad.

Ann

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

From: m4momma@...

> I got back up to 237 in about 7 months. Ugh. I am back on my plan and

> now today I weighed in at 225.

Beth, fantastic job stopping that gain and getting back on track. It is so

hard to lose it and so easy to gain it back. You are down 70 pounds!

Wonderful job!

Ann

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/2/2006 6:03:16 AM Pacific Standard Time, maryannanderic@... writes:

How old is he? Sad that someone as bright and positive as you seem to be has to live with a jerk. I'm guessing he takes after his dad.

*Almost* 14 and I have 5 years left LOL - sad that I am counting the time til his high school graduation. :'(

I would say yes, he takes after his dad - the other two are no where near as rotten as he can be LOL!!